The Chronicles of Legolas
by kricket is cool
Summary: The moment Legolas heard the cry of the gull, he knew he was fated to sail to Valinor yet the peace he found there made his heart ache. He wasn't able to resist the sea-longing but now his soul was being pulled back toward the trees on Middle-Earth. Legolas no longer feels attachment to the home of his kin and he sets sail to the East. Yet his home is not the same as it once was.
1. Chapter 1

"Legolas." the dwarf rasped out, squeezing the hand in his. He knew his spirit was leaving him, yet he had to hold on, he had to make sure Legolas understood.  
"Legolas, promise me that you will not stay here if it makes you unhappy." He coughed and tears welled up in his eyes.

The elf next to him clutched desperately at the calloused hand he held.

"Save your breath _mellonin_ " He whispered, tears trickled down his face.

"No, listen. You have never been happy here, away from the trees and life of Middle-Earth. Do not stay because you kin loves the peace here. Do not stay because the cry of the gull drove you here. The forest is still in your heart, just as the mountain is in mine." he paused, lapsing into a coughing fit. Legolas put a hand to the dwarves brow.

"Am I truly not happy here? There is so much light here, so much peace."

Gimli smiled, his white beard twitching in suppressed laughter.

"You were happy Legolas, but as the time has passed, you have looked to the horizon as your thoughts stray to the past. You are used to constant fighting and danger, more so than the other elves of your realm. The peace sets you on edge, you do not like having no obligations or worries. You miss seeing the rapid pace of mortals and the fire in their spirits. You belong in Middle-Earth, not here in this realm."

The elf's gaze cleared as the words from his old friend sank into his mind. Gimli smiled. His heart-brother would now have the courage to return to the world of man and leave his kin. He had known he would never survive the journey to Middle-Earth and knew that Legolas would not leave without him, but now there would be nothing holding him back.

"Thank you my friend. You are very wise for a dwarf."

"Ha. You are less ignorant that most elves, finally admitting the superiority of a dwarf."

Legolas smiled a sad smile, remembering times when their insults were meant to hurt, when they were blinded by the prejudices of their race.

"Legolas, I hear my ancestors calling me. I will not be here much longer. Remember this, I will be reborn in the next age, find me. Until then, your duty is to the descendents of Aragorn, protect them, protect the one true king." He closed his eyes, his breathing slowing.

"I will my friend. I will protect Aragorn's line and then when you are reborn, you will join me. I swear on the soul of Eru."

Gimli smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

"You are returning to Middle-Earth" It was voiced as a statement, a truth. Legolas sighed. He had been struggling over how to inform his father of his choice for a while now.

"Who told you that?" he asked.

"Glorfindel. So you are leaving" Ah Glorfindel. of course the elf had told his father. He was glad. it had spared him of the difficulties.

"Yes _Adar_ " His blue eyes met the identical ones of his father.

Thranduil sighed. His shoulders slumped and his noble posture sank. Legolas' heart broke o see his father like this. He hadn't seemed so defeated since the death of his mother.

"I wish I could convince you to stay with me. That your heart would truly reside in these lands." Legolas bowed his head, unwilling to speak for fear of bursting into sobs.

"But I have known for many years now that you only came because you could resist no longer. The only thing keeping you here was the condition of your friend"

"Yes _Adar_ " Legolas squeezed his eyes shut against the tears that threatened to come. A gentle hand slipped under his chin, bringing his eyes to meet the tear filled ones of his father. Thranduil pulled his son in close to his chest, a rare display of affection.

"I only wish for you to be happy. If you find that in Middle-Earth, than I believe you should go."

The younger elf finally let his tears free, sobbing into his father's chest.

"I love you _Ada_. I don't want to leave you but I cannot stand this place much longer." Thranduil sighed, pulling his son closer.

"I know my greenleaf. I know my _anon."_

The royals stayed like that until the rays of the sun began peeking over the horizon. Thranduil smiled, his son was one of the most powerful warriors in all of Valinor, he knew that his son would be well prepared to become the protector of Arda. Yet like all fathers, he desperately wanted Legolas to be safe.

With the departure of his only son, Thranduil knew that his own desire to stay on the peaceful shores would fade. In time, he to would depart for Middle Earth once again. That time would be centuries in the future, but itg ave him comfort that he would eventually see his son again.

He placed a kiss upon his son's brow and whispered a brief prayer of protection before pulling away.

"Come now, " Thranduil said, his eyes glistening with tears.

"It wouldn't do to miss the tide." He smiled and was rewarded with a sad one from his son.

Together they walked, hand in hand, toward the sea, and the grey ship that had been prepared to set sail.

Legolas's departure was quiet, the only people present were the Lord and Lady of both Rivendell and Lothlorien, Thranduil, Glorfindel and Elladan and Elrohir. They stood and watched silently as the sails faded into the distance where not even elven vision could no longer make them out.

" _Be safe my son."_


	3. Chapter 3

The moment land was in sight, Legolas knew that he had made the right choice.

The trees were calling to him. Crying out in joy that one of the firstborn had returned to their lands. He smiled, thinking back on what his father had said to him.

" _You have always had a closer connection to the trees than even the wood elves tend to have. Without them, your soul feels empty. They call to you with a voice far stronger than that of the gull that keeps us here. Go to them, and perhaps in time, I will find in myself the strength to leave these lands and live with you once again."_

Legolas grasped the sword hilt by his waist. It was of the finest elven and dwarven make. Forged by the hands of both his father and his best friend. It was inlaid with dwarven and elvish rune, signs of hope, protection, and strength. It was named Arakhor, Protector of the Trees.

He would ensure the survival of Isildur's line and the last remnants of the age of magic.

His arrival in Gondor was unannounced and unexpected. Legolas hadn't expected otherwise, all the elves had sailed to Valinor, leaving nothing behind but legends and memories.

As he walked through the streets of the capital, his keen hearing picked up on whispers of magic and the former Queen Arwen. Legolas was not surprised, it had been almost two hundred years since an elf was seen. Since Arwen died and Legolas gave into to the sea-longing and sailed to the undying lands with Gimli.

Aragorn's son, Eldarion, had died almost a century ago and his eldest son, Electar was now on the throne, preparing to pass the crown to his eldest, Elrein.

Legolas was greeted at the gates of the palace with open suspicion and borderline hostility. They had only heard stories of elves passed down from their great-great-grandparents and had dismissed them as legends.

One guard, however, recognized the elf from the portrait that adorned the great hall.

"You are the Prince of Mirkwood, the companion of the great king Elessar on his quest to reunite Gondor." His mouth was wide open, dumbstruck at the sight before him. The other guards lowered their weapons.

"We have heard tale of you in legend. If you truly are the last elf of Arda, then we bid you welcome to the city."

Legolas smiled. This one had obviously paid attention to bedtime tales.

"Ay, I am he. I have returned from Valinor to seek and audience with your king."

The guard nodded and shouted at his companions to lower the gate.

Needless to say, Electar was shocked at his appearance. Legolas had met him briefly when he was a newborn, but shortly after, Aragorn died and Legolas sailed.

Electar, gratefully accepted Legolas' offer of advising the king. The elf had, after all, had nearly two thousand more years of political experience than he.

For years Gondor thrived, its fleet reaching out to previously isolated islands and settlements of men on the sea.

It seemed as if the prosperity would last forever.

Sadly, it wasn't so.

Electar died twenty years after passing the throne to Elreon.

Legolas, being painfully reminded that he was doomed to live forever while his mortal friends died, left the land of Man. He wandered for years, visiting old forests and young villages, defending fellow travelers and watching as even the men of Gondor stopped speaking of the elves.

Stories were told about the mysterious ranger that roamed the lands, protecting the people and slaying all dark things. The one who protected the wild and spoke with nature.

Despite all his wanderings, Legolas avoided the abandoned elven realms. he knew that without his kin there, men will have settled and built their own kingdoms. Legolas knew that seeing the changes in his home would be too much

After almost twenty years, Legolas found himself on the path to Mirkwood. His home for over two thousand years.

The moment he stepped foot into the forest, he sensed something was different.

There was a feeling of magic in the air. Magic of protection that he had not felt since he was in the elven realms before the ring was destroyed. He felt the familiar voices of the fae and unseen in the woods. Voices that had vanished from the world of Man.

"Puck, Puck is that you?" he called softly. A small head appeared in the tree next to him.

"Legolas, it is true. You have returned!" It exclaimed before stepping into view.

Puck was a small sprite, a mischievous one with bright green eyes and red hair. He stood slightly smaller than a hobbit and slender with pointed ears like an elf. He had a childlike appearance and was clad in a tunic of green leaves and a crown of berries rested on his head.

He grinned at the elf before him.

"We had thought the firstborn had all left until we heard rumors of your reappearance." he said, still looking with disbelief at the sight before him.

"Puck, my friend, I thought you refused to leave Rivendell." Legolas began walking, the sprite following alongside him.

"Yes, but with the absence of Eldar, men came into the valley. They don't understand magic anymore so I left. The rest of my kind came here as well, even the Hobbits are starting to migrate to these lands." He seemed sad, his aura dampened slightly, Legolas felt a twinge of pain in his heart. He had known how close the fae was to the twin sons of Elrond.

Together, Elladan, Elrohir, and Puck had formed a mighty team of pranksters for unsuspecting diplomats. Their friendship was strong and when the call of the Sea grew too strong to resist, they begged the sprite to join them. Puck, however, refused to be parted from his kin and homeland and remained in Arda.

"Ah, I had felt the absence of your kind throughout Gondor and Edoras but I have not allowed myself to go to Rivendell. I am afraid of what I will find there." He had put off returning to Mirkwood for fear of seeing what mankind had done to it as well.

"You wouldn't recognize it. I don't recognize it. The trees there are silent in mourning and the waters less joyful." Puck's eyes unfocused slightly, Legolas laid a hand on his friends shoulder.

"Tell me, why has your kind settled here, in Greenwood. Why not Lothlorien or Fangorn?" Legolas questioned.

"Oh, that's and easy answer. Radagast has shielded this forest from non-magic folk. Here us legends can live undisturbed and peaceful. The remains of the more peaceful clans of Goblins and Trolls have settled in the caves near Dol Guldur. Hobbits have built homes in the orchards and gardens close to the palace and the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains, one who didn't settle in Erebor, moved into the palace." Puck paused and glanced at the prince who had a small smile on his face.

No doubt over the thought of what his father would say if he heard of dwarves living in his palace.

"Radagast will be happy to see you. He is probably in the southern border, reinforcing the wards."

"Thank you Puck, I am glad to see you here." Legolas said, taking Pucks hand in his own.

Puck grinned and squeezed his friend's slender fingers.

"I am glad that you are here as well. I will inform others of your arrival, you go see the wizard."

Puck leapt into the trees, disappearing amongst the foliage. Legolas smiled, his first true smile since returning from Gondor.

It was so good, so relieving, to see other immortals again. Legolas began humming a tune, a hobbit song. One he had heard from Bilbo many years ago.

" _The road goes ever on and on._

 _Down from the door where it began._

 _Now far ahead the road has gone_

 _and I must follow if I can."_

 _ **A/N**_ _: Hey If any of y'all want to write and in between story that captures the moments of Legolas's time in Gondor, feel free to do so. I had planned on it but I likely won't get there until this story is finished. I decided to do only a short summary of his first years in the world of man so I can focus on the Pirate crossover that I promised. As always, Thanks for reading._

 _kricket out._


	4. Chapter 4

Radagast was, as promised, working on the wards when Legolas founds him.

At least, that is what Legolas assumed him to be doing.

The brown wizard was kneeling by the stream and whispering ancient words as he sprinkled a powder of a sort from his glowing hands into the water.

The entire stream was emitting a magical glow as the spell took hold. It was an amazing sight to see as well as a relief to know that not all magic was gone from Arda.

The forest had darkened as the sun sank below the treetops when Radagast finally acknowledged his presence.

"Greetings, my lord." He said, now bowing but tilting his head in respect.

"Please don't, I have never liked titles. Legolas is fine." He said.

Legolas had met Radagast over two thousand years ago during a large flood that had caused the banks of the river to overflow. He had been but a child and was swept away by the current and almost drowned before the wizard had pulled him out.

They had kept in touch through the years. When spiders threatened to move too close to Radagast's home, Legolas would kill or drive them out. In return, when one of the Mirkwood warriors under Legolas' patrol were poisoned, Radagast would heal them.

After the Ring was destroyed, most of Legolas' efforts were concentrated in Gondor, restoring the once great kingdom to his former glory. He rarely ventured into Mirkwood and avoided it all together after his father and the rest of his people sailed.

Radagast had remained in the forest, faithfully caring for the trees and creatures that lived there. And later, for the magical refugees that fled the age of Man.

"It has been quite a long time since we last spoke. I have much to tell of all that has occurred in your absence." The brown wizard smiled sadly, reminiscing on happier times. He gestured towards an old oak.

"Care to sit?" Legolas nodded and gracefully sat down, his joints, sore from walking all day, protested.

Radagast sat beside him, crossing his legs and resting his staff across his knees.

"The day the Ring was destroyed was the beginning of the end for the age of magic.  
All those that possessed the power of the Valar felt it. They had all know that the loss of magic was coming but they were all still unprepared." He paused, gazing at the elf before him.

Legolas' bright blue eyes were filled with sadness and loss. Radagast knew that look. Almost every creature that now resided in Mirkwood carried it.

The wizard sighed and continued.

"The Istari, five of us were sent to protect this world. As you know, the two blue wizards departed to other lands never to be seen again, It is my assumption that they aided civilizations of men in other realms that the men here have yet to discover. Saruman, of course, fell to the dark powers. Gandalf was perhaps the only one of us to complete our mission, aiding repeatedly in the fight against the dark. Then there was me. I am weak compared to all the others, I had no desire to fight against Sauron or Melkor. I was content in the forest and with the company of the trees and animals. It is because of that, I believe, that I was able to save this realm.

"For years I had been pouring my magic and soul into these woods. This realm was the only realm that never had the protection of a magic ring and yet it thrived. Because of my thousands of years spent in these trees, this land had become a pocket of magic. Mirkwood is now the last sanctuary for all magic creatures. "When I realized what I had been inadvertently doing, I began to put wards and spells to draw away the eye of man, They will soon forget us but here, all refugees can live in safety." The moon was now visible through the trees. It's sphere of light offered comfort to the two immortals as they gazed upon it.

"The first to come here, surprisingly, were the hobbits. Men had begun settling in the Shire and driving them out of their homes. Men who no longer recalled the tale of the One Ring and the courage of the Shirefolk who saved the land. They treated the hobbits like children, ridiculing them and thinking them incapable of living without assistance. So they came here, away from their homes to settle in the gardens of your father."

Legolas cracked a smile, imagining the look on Thranduil's face if he saw his beloved gardens filled with homes and little round doors.

"The pixies and sprites were next, followed shortly by the water nymphs. Rivendell, from what they told me, is now a large town for men. They were more tolerant of the magic folk but too loud and abrupt for them to live in peace.

"Goblins and Trolls have taken up refuge in Dol Guldur. I have allowed them to stay because they do not venture far into the forest and seem to only want to keep to themselves. Last I checked, they were building pens for wild pigs and setting traps for deer and birds. It seems as if their chaotic nature has been lifted though they still fight amongst themselves."

Here Radagast allowed a moment for the elf to contemplate the meaning of his words.

With the lifting of the evil that emanated from Mordor, the darker creatures were now becoming more civilized. In a few centuries, an alliance between the light and dark creatures would be possible. That was something not in the confines of imagination before the destruction of the Ring.

A smile came over the elf's face. A sad smile, but a smile nonetheless. Radagast took that as a signal to continue.

"The Blue Mountains are all but empty. The dwarves coming to live in the palace or in the kingdom of Erebor. Your father, I am sure, would be absolutely livid at what they have done to it. They have expanded into the mountain and are creating an underground city. From what Rawil, that is the King, tells me, they are working on a passage to Erebor to unite the two kingdoms."

Again, Radagast paused, observing the elf before him with concern. The wizard knew that Legolas had returned from the Grey Havens almost two hundred years ago and had been wandering the lands of men.

The moment the elf had set foot on land, the magic in Mirkwood blossomed. The ancient power had grown dormant with the passing of the elves to Valinor and now they gained strength with the presence of the Eldar. Even though the elf had avoided his homeland, his return had sparked the last urge the magic needed to create a sanctuary.

The realm of magic could only last for as long as Legolas chose to remain in Arda. Should he sail back to Valinor or be killed or even fade from grief, the magic would fail, Mirkwood would be exposed to man and the last remnants of the great age of elves would disappear.

Radagast would not tell Legolas of this, of course. Legolas is a free spirit, he would feel confined in the safety of the forest but would not leave if he believed he was protecting his fellow order to preserve Legolas' happiness, Radagast would not tell him of all that rests on his life.

So he watched, the elegant eyebrows creased in concentration as Legolas pondered the meaning behind the words of the wizard.

He had truly been ignorant, hiding as he was in the world of man and it gladdened his heart to hear that the world would not rid itself entirely of magic.

"By your leave, Radagast, I would like to visit my father's palace, or at least, the Dwarven stronghold." Legolas stood fluidly, showing no signs of his earlier exhaustion.

His eyes twinkled merrily as he offered a hand to the wizard. Being in the forest had rejuvenated him. The elf had missed the familiar song of the trees and the scent of magic in the air. Radagast smiled as he accepted the offered hand.

It seemed as if he need not worry of the elf leaving or fading. His heart was too entwined with the land.

The elf would stay for as long as the trees sung to him.

The two immortals turned away from the stream and began the trek back through the forest to the once home of the elvenking.

The water in the stream, glowed softly from the spells cast upon it. As the liquid flowed, it gurgled happily, joining in with the wind and the trees in a song of joy.

The last Eldar had finally returned and the stream could feel itself and the powers it now held growing stronger by his mere presence.

 ** _A/N_** _Hey kricket here. I would like to thank my readers for the input I received and have now decided to continue with the history before proceeding with the actual crossover. So this chapter was basically a sort of filler on all that has been going on while Legolas was roaming the realm of men or assisting the kings of Gondor. If there is any part that is unclear, please let me know and I will clarify it in the next update._ _My thanks to Beetle guest reader that needed a name) as well as_ _RogueMuttley for their kind reviews._ _kricket out._


	5. Chapter 5

When Legolas approached the castle he was shocked.

The castle was more of a fortress built into the side of the mountain with high walls and stone doors. There was a town, once filled with elves that lived in the sanctuary of the palace, that was hidden behind walls of trees that protected the village from sight. It had been empty for years. Most elves, commoners included, had lived within the palace for the past eight hundred years.

The palace looked more alive than it had in centuries. Even before the departure of the elves, the castle had been used only as a military station and only the advisers and wounded were within the walls for more than a few months at a time.

Before the Ring had been found, the evil emanating from Dol Guldur had given strength to the great spiders, goblins, trolls, and orcs that lived in the forest. They had become more violent, killing and destroying every trace of elves that they would find. They had even come across the palace village and killed the inhabitants that couldn't flee to the safety of the walls in time.

In less than five years, almost a third of the population had been killed by the brutal attacks.

Thranduil, in order to preserve his subjects, sent all the children and non-warrior elleth to seek refuge in Imraldis, Lothlorien, or sanctuary in Valinor. There were few that did not sail, The people had decided to await their ing in Valinor rather than under the leadership of another ruler.

Seeing Hobbits happily hanging laundry on clotheslines and peeling potatoes without any fear of being attacked sent a pang of longing through the elves heart. It had been over a thousand years since he had seen his own people looking so carefree.

The hobbits looked at him curiously but didn't stop their various tasks to gawp at him, for that he was relieved.

The hobbit community was a strange sight. The elven homes were made mostly of wood and stone, usually supported on high pillars or suspended from trees. The hobbits, being more earthbound creatures, had removed the support pillars from most of the house's to set them on the ground and covered them in dirt. The result was a odd, grass covered shack firmly ingrained into the forest floor. The houses that had been built in the trees were being used as storage for food stuffs and elven weapons. They were accessed by a strange sort of pulley system that would only be dwarven ingenuity.

As Legolas watched, a young hobbit, with a load of grain, boarded a platform. The platform had sturdy rails and a long handle attached to the side. The hobbit pulled the handle and the structure was lifted, carrying its burden to the suspended hut where he then deposited his load.

It was an amazing sight.

He turned to Radagast who was watching him with an amused expression.

"How long have they lived here?" Legolas questioned.

"Oh, not too long. Maybe fifty years at the most. The Tooks, of course, were the ones to encourage them to live here. Gallant is now the leader, a mayor of sorts."

Legolas smiled. Gallant Took was a distant ancestor of Pippin and Merry. His heart tinged with sadness at the reminder of his mortal friends from so long ago.

He dearly wished that Gimli was at his side, laughing with him at the changes made to the elven village. Aragorn would shake his head in mock disappointment before turning to Boromir and adding in a comment that would send the four of them into a fit of laughter. Frodo and Sam would be berating Merry and Pippin for their jokes while Gandalf watched them all with a smile.

Radagast continued talking. Listing all of the changes and improvements that had taken place in the absence of the elves but Legolas was no longer listening.

He closed his eyes, letting the quiet bustle of life and the swaying of the trees fill his mind.

And for the first time since the death of Aragorn near five hundred years ago, he was content.

 _Hello, kricket here._

 _Just to clarify, the hobbits traditionally have dwelt in homes buried in the ground so the elven homes have been covered in soil in mimicry of the Shire. Elves, being tree dwellers, had a multitude of dwellings that were suspended in the trees form ropes and vines. Since hobbits would have no desire to live there, they would use them as storage for food and access them through a complex series of pulleys and wheels that the dwarves helped design._

 _The dwarves have turned the elven stone palace into their home and have mined more rooms further into the mountain in imitation of Erebor._

 _The other magical creatures, like Puck, have moved in as well choosing to live in the gardens of the palace._

 _Goblins and trolls, without the influence of Sauron's' evil, have become more domestic and less inclined to violence. They still hate the creatures of the light but have realized that in order to survive they must be allies. Eventually they will become civilized to the point of interacting often with the dwarves and hobbits._

 _Radagast is like the unofficial leader, being the only immortal and the founder of the sanctuary. Legolas eventually takes his place but since he is a wanderer at heart, Radagast is often left in charge._

 _Thank you for reading and if you are anxious for Pirates, I should have them appear in two chapters._

 _kricket out.._


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